Chapter Text
"Uh, you are very young to have amassed such an empire. To what do you owe —"
"To what do I owe my success?"
"...Yeah."
Daemon chuckles. From how fast Rhaenyra's foot taps on the porcelain floor he'd be surprised if it didn't crack soon.
"Did Alicent write that one too?"
Rhaenyra's hand slowly moves to the stack of shoddily pushed together sticky notes as if her uncle didn't notice the fact that she'd been staring down at them for the entire duration of what was supposed to be an interview of sorts.
"How'd you know?"
She finally looks up at him, and he puts down the rubik's cube in his hands for long enough to give her a sly smile.
"Tell her she flatters me, I haven't been considered young in a while...Not since before you were born, in fact."
This makes Rhaenyra shudder. She was sitting in a man's office, fantasizing about him all the while he was old enough to vividly remember her birth. To add incest to injury, that man was also her uncle. Gross.
"I don't see why this newspaper interviewing thing needs to happen anyway - we're born rich, uncle, what purpose does this serve?"
Daemon shrugs and sits at his desk. He takes a sip from his tea cup then sighs.
"Appearances, darling, appearances. We have to make them."
Rhaenyra rolls her eyes, struggling to stand from the chairs that were much too soft to be in her uncle's office. When she was a child, she would often call them 'quicksand beds'. A small hint of a smile returns to her face at the memory which, in turn, makes Daemon smile once again.
"There's that pretty face. Come here."
She's suddenly dragged down onto Daemon's lap.
"Uncle, we... really shouldn't do this."
A few kisses on Rhaenyra's face stop her train of thought for a few moments.
"Just stay with me, hm?"
Rhaenyra scoffs.
"Can't. I have an essay to turn in tonight, and I gotta pick up dinner."
A desperate, almost needy exhale escapes Daemon. He closes his eyes as he pulls her closer, his arms wrapping around her waist
"Forever. Just us. You can even be my intern,"
Rhaenyra interrupts him then pulls away in a manner makes Daemon nervous, though it's only a few inches.
"Intern?"
"I'll pay you good, you know that. Take care of you and... I don't know, just please."
He speaks in between kisses. Rhaenyra hugs him before getting up and grabbing her backpack.
"What're you doing?"
Daemon's eyes open, his niece is no longer on his lap.
"I really would love to stay," She starts. "but like I said, dinner and that essay."
Her uncle can't see them from where he is, but her hands are viciously shaking as well as her legs. This was another one of those days. Those days when Daemon would get a bit too close in a place that was a bit too public for the type of affection he wanted to give Rhaenyra. Usually, the worst that would happen was a scolding from her mother but she was older now, which meant she was expected to abide by what was socially acceptable and what wasn't. Just the thought of one of those poor assistants walking in on their boss making out with his niece made her brain want to kill itself.
Daemon stands and fixes his tie in the full-length mirror adjacent to his desk. Conceited, Rhaenyra thinks while fixing the pins in her hair.
"Bye, uncle."
She skips the usual goodbye kiss. Too weird this time, she figures.
"Consider my offer, at least."
Rhaenyra stops in front of the door, adjusting her sunglasses.
"Maybe."
Once she's gone, Daemon laughs to himself.
On the other side of the door Rhaenyra sighs in relief. It was a miracle she made it out of there without freaking out and reverting back to her cringe, 14 year old self who was starved for attention and made if obvious whenever she was seeking it. She wouldn't consider his offer, she couldn't.